Sylvania Wilderness Backcountry Camping

Sylvania Wilderness, Watersmeet, Michigan, United States
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The front of a canoe rests on the shore of a small lake surrounded by green trees
The shore of a lake with trees and a campsite marker post in the distance.
Waves approach a tree covered shore with gray storm clouds in the sky overhead.
The front of a canoe surrounded by a blue lake with another canoe in the distance.
A window is open on a log entrance station building with a staff member inside ready to greet visitors.

Featured amenities

Showers Showers
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About Sylvania Wilderness Backcountry Camping

Planning a trip to the Sylvania Wilderness? Watch for Alerts at the top of the page for any Alerts regarding this facility.  Encompassing one of the largest tracts of remaining old growth forest in the Midwest, the Sylvania Wilderness encompasses 18,327 acres and is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. 34 named lakes are within its boundary. Recreation opportunities include canoeing on Sylvania's undeveloped lakes, hiking through its old growth forest, and camping at one of its 50 designated backcountry campsites.Special rules and regulations are in place to protect the wilderness characteristics of Sylvania. If you are planning a trip, be sure to watch the Sylvania Wilderness Orientation Video and read the "Need to Know" tab on this web page to plan ahead and prepare.

Available sites

50 total sites
Tent Sites 50 sites Check Availability

Seasonal information

2026 (Current year)

2026 Season availability

Current season
Upcoming seasons
Past seasons
Closed periods
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Currently open - Oct 1 to Dec 31

Campground Amenities

Most popular amenities

Showers Showers
Water and Hygiene

Water and Hygiene

  • Showers
Water Access

Water Access

  • Beach Access
  • Lake Access
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Rates, Sites & Availability

Select check-in and check-out dates to see real-time availability for each site.

50 Sites Available

Site
Price
⛺ ASH-1, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ ASH-2, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BADGER-1, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BADGER-2, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BALSAM-1, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BALSAM-2, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BASS, Loop: Whitefish Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BEAR-1, Loop: Mountain Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BEAR-2, Loop: Mountain Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BEAVER-1, Loop: Mountain Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BEAVER-2, Loop: Mountain Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BIRCH, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ BOBCAT, Loop: High Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ CEDAR-1, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ CEDAR-2, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ CHIPMUNK, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ COYOTE, Loop: West Bear Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ DEER-1, Loop: East Bear Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ DEER-2, Loop: East Bear Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ EAGLE-1, Loop: Loon Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ EAGLE-2, Loop: Loon Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ ERMINE-1, Loop: Mountain Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ ERMINE-2, Loop: Mountain Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ FISHER-1, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ FISHER-2, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ FOX-1, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ FOX-2, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ LOON, Loop: Loon Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ LYNX-1, Loop: Mountain Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ LYNX-2, Loop: Mountain Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ MALLARD-1, Loop: Loon Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ MALLARD-2, Loop: Loon Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ MAPLE-1, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ MAPLE-2, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ MINK-1, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ MINK-2, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ OSPREY-1, Loop: Loon Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ OSPREY-2, Loop: Loon Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ PERCH-1, Loop: Whitefish Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ PERCH-2, Loop: Whitefish Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ PIKE-1, Loop: Whitefish Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ PIKE-2, Loop: Whitefish Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ PINE-1, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ PINE-2, Loop: Clark Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ PORCUPINE-1, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ PORCUPINE-2, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ RACCOON, Loop: High Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ SQUIRREL-1, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ SQUIRREL-2, Loop: Crooked Lake Tent
Yes shade
⛺ WOLF, Loop: East Bear Lake Tent
Yes shade

Reviews

307 reviews

Summary

AI generated

Sylvania Wilderness offers a stunning, serene environment ideal for first-time campers, with beautiful weather, mild portage trails, and clean, spacious campsites. Visitors enjoyed peaceful paddling experiences, abundant wildlife, and friendly park staff, making for a memorable outdoor adventure. While some reported issues with mosquitoes and campsite accessibility, the overall experience remains highly praised, with many eager to return.

Based on guest feedback

4.5

Overall rating

Based on 307 reviews

Write a review
5 stars 69.4% (213)
4 stars 18.9% (58)
3 stars 6.5% (20)
2 stars 2.9% (9)
1 star 2.3% (7)

Showing 307 reviews

Verified Only
Sort by: Oldest First
Newest First Oldest First

Richard G

Verified

October 5, 2023 Stayed at: PORCUPINE-1, Loop: Crooked Lake

Good experience, campsites need better identification markers, they are hard to find when paddling in from the lake.

Helpful

Ben V

Verified

June 1, 2024 Stayed at: CHIPMUNK, Loop: Crooked Lake

it was good to enjoy the woods for a week.fishing was great,bugs were not bad,weather was semi coopertive.

Helpful

Randall J

Verified

June 6, 2024 Stayed at: BOBCAT, Loop: High Lake

Much good. Negative was camper before me left many eggshells in the fire pit that I had to clean out. Aggrevates me when people do not follow the rules. Concerns me especially related to special Sylvania Wilderness fishing regulations. If those are not followed, this unique fishing experience may cease to exist.

Helpful

Dan K

Verified

July 5, 2024 Stayed at: MINK-2, Loop: Crooked Lake

This was our first trip to Sylvania Wilderness. We stayed at Mink 2 in late June 2024. It's about a 45 minute paddle from the canoe launch on Crooked Lake. The landing at Mink 2 is easy to find. The campsite is several yards in from the shore and slightly uphill. There are a couple flat areas for tents, surrounded by large trees. We found a bear bag tree pretty easily, and two trees close enough to set up a tarp. The fire ring area and latrine were clean and easy to find. Being a West facing campsite close to shore, there was a nice breeze most of the day to keep cool and keep the mosquitoes at bay. Fishing on Crooked Lake was mostly a bust for us. We were fishing for northern and only caught one, not big enough to keep. We saw several other anglers having better luck with pan fish. Still fun though. We parked over to Clark Lake and ran some of the forest trails between the lakes. They were wide and pretty great to run on. Overall it was a great trip and we would definitely return to Sylvania Wilderness.

Helpful

Kurt J

Verified

July 6, 2024 Stayed at: FOX-1, Loop: Crooked Lake

Fox 1 has poor steep access that is difficult when wet/ muddy. The previous trail was rerouted due to a fallen tree.

The flat portage from Crooked to Mountain seems shorter than the distance from the water to your campsite.

Grill grate was broken but functional.

We love the Sylvania Wilderness and it was our 5th time together. We'll be back in August, but not at Fox 1.

Helpful

Thomas T

Verified

July 11, 2024 Stayed at: RACCOON, Loop: High Lake

It is a beautiful place and easy to get to.

Helpful

JAMES C

Verified

July 12, 2024 Stayed at: PINE-1, Loop: Clark Lake

Weather was not the best. Fishing was slow. I used to like using the showers at the beach facilities after a backcountry trip but the past two times I’ve been there, they were closed.

Helpful

Steve C

Verified

July 12, 2024 Stayed at: ASH-1, Loop: Clark Lake

Beautiful area & pristine wilderness. Really appreciate the efforts that have been made to preserve & protect the area. Will definitely return.

Helpful

Location & Directions for Sylvania Wilderness Backcountry Camping

Sylvania Wilderness, Watersmeet, MI 49969 United States

Elevation: 554 ft

Getting There

Backcountry wilderness campsites can be accessed from the Sylvania Recreation Area by parking at the Clark Lake or Crooked Lake Boat Landings, or from entry points on the perimeter of the wilderness (see map). To reach the Sylvania Entrance Statio...

Nearest town

Watersmeet, MI - 8.2 mi

About 11 min to downtown

Highway access

The campground is accessible via US 2, located approximately 3.5 miles to the north. From US 2, take County Road 535 (Thousand Island Lake Road) south for about 4 miles to reach the Sylvania Entrance Station.

Nearby Campgrounds

Clark Lake Pavilion
Closed for Season

Campground / RV park

Clark Lake Pavilion

Watersmeet, MI

The Clark Lake Pavilion, situated in a scenic north woods area at the north end of Clark Lake, offers a spacious indoor gathering space with picnic tables and a fireplace. Visitors should check for alerts regarding the facility before their visit....
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Land O' Lakes Nature RV Resort (Age Restricted 25+)

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Tamarack Springs Campground

Campground / RV park

Tamarack Springs Campground

Conover, WI
5.0 (5)

Nearby destinations

Explore destination

Watersmeet

7 mi away

City
Explore destination

Land O' Lakes

9 mi away

City
Explore destination

Conover

15 mi away

City

Last updated: October 24, 2026

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Population: 250

Elevation: 1,604 ft

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